ELECTROLYTE MATERIALS

Solid electrolytes conduct lithium ions at room temperature and can potentially replace conventional organic electrolytes, which are flammable and toxic. In addition to drastically improving the safety of the battery, solid state electrolytes allow the use of lithium metal as the anode. This in turn increases the cell voltage and thereby increases the energy density of the battery. Sulfide compounds with high Li-ion conductivity are not commonly available, and as such, the development of solid state electrolyte–based Li-ion batteries has been plagued by the lack of widespread availability of these difficult-to-produce materials.